On a previous post I broke down the politics of the dress codes of the 1940s war time. The government regulated fashion down to how much fabric and trim a manufacturer could put in any ensemble. I wanted to recreate a proper dress from 1941.
I received My pattern that I purchased on ebay. It was complete and exactly as I expected. The cover is rather fragile, but the pattern pieces were in great shape.
I was rather surprised by a few things. The zipper was called a "slide" and the sleeves were set in in pieces rather than stitched together and gathered like modern patterns. However, the pattern fits me perfectly without any alterations. It is a 16. I wear a 12 in current patterns and a size 4 off the rack. So obviously, size numbers are just numbers.
The following pictures are of my daughter wearing the dress as I made it for her. The belt is purchased and the shoes are mine from the 90s.
Daughter did her own victory curls.
It was fun making this dress.
The facts:
Challenge: #11 Politics of Fashion
Fabric: 97% Cotton 3% Lycra, so not completely accurate. The stretch in the fabric did help in getting the sleeves in correctly.
Pattern: Simplicity 4239 from the 1940s
Year: ca. 1941
Notions: "slide" (current) Coats thread, 4 plastic buttons
How historically accurate is it: 85% because of notions and Lycra in the fabric
Hours to complete: 9
First worn: Friday the Thirteenth for Pictures. Daughter will wear it for her office job.
Cost: Approximately $45
Thanks for stopping by.
Jeannine
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